Movie Reviews

A lament for one of TV's all time greatest shows - gone too

Robert Moore | Chicago, IL USA | 03/08/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"PUSHING DAISIES is no longer a part of the ABC schedule.

Even though Amazon often makes it possible to review shows before the season has ended, I make it a personal policy to never write a review until the season has ended. I'm making an exception for Season Two of PUSHING DAISIES simply because we don't know when or if ABC will air the final three episodes. There is talk that they might show the last three episodes in a single night, but possibly as late as sometime during the summer of 2009. Possibly not at all.

Time was when ABC was one of my favorite networks. Along with NBC, I watched more of their series than any other network. CBS has not had any shows that have interested me in a couple of decades and has become the network most opposed to Quality Television (a technical term for shows with specific qualities, none of which are possessed by CBS's entire schedule). FOX has done some interesting shows, but such a huge percentage of them have been cancelled (though admittedly in the years before Kevin Reilly became head of programming -- so far in his two years FOX has a much better track record and it might even become my new favorite network, especially if they keep DOLLHOUSE and TERMINATOR: THE SARAH CONNOR CHRONICLES, my two favorite FOX series, going past this spring). The CW apart from GOSSIP GIRL has yet to develop a single show that even remotely interests me, though the old WB series SMALLVILLE is a decent show that I've watched for years (and which is experiencing an unexpected resurgence in its 8th season, which will hopefully carry over with its now confirmed 9th season). But ABC is not a station I look to with much hope. I will admit that this could change if they eventually greenlight the series FABLES, based on Bill Willingham's great comic series about fairy tale characters living in New York in a neighborhood called Fabletown (though ironically, the target audience for the show would probably be fans of PUSHING DAISIES). But even if FABLES turns out to be as great as it has the potential to be, I won't easily forget the anger I am feeling over PUSHING DAISIES. Even as FOX has developed (and then not cancelled) several new interesting shows, I still an angered over FIREFLY, WONDERFALLS, DARK ANGEL, as well as several other series.

Canceling PUSHING DAISIES has almost overnight made me hate ABC more than I once did FOX. The ratings were not good and it was an expensive show to make, but it was one of the greatest glories in the history of television. It wasn't a show with universal appeal. Some people of good taste felt the pace was too intense (the only show ever made on TV with more words per minute was probably THE GILMORE GIRLS). Some didn't like the narrator (though Jim Dale's narration for me was one of the glories of the show). Some objected to the persistent fantastical tone, though for me it was one of the greatest TV fantasies ever. I delighted in the neverceasing wordplay, the show's love of the English language (the only two shows I know that evinced as much love of the language as PUSHING DAISIES were THE GILMORE GIRLS and BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER). And we had a group of characters I came to care about more and more. Although I'm a serious student of television and have an almost embarrassing shows that I follow, PUSHING DAISIES was different. I thought of Mondays as being only two days before the next PUSHING DAISIES. And when Wednesday came around I had this thrill of anticipation, not unlike a small kid looking forward to a birthday party. Something new and special was able to enter the landscape of my imagination.

I'm not very worried about the future of the cast members. All of the performers have had success before and will again. Kristin Chenoweth has already landed one of the leads in a new David Kelly show dealing with (what else?) a law firm. Creator and executive producer Bryan Fuller has returned to HEROES, which NBC hopes he can breathe some life into the moribund and perhaps terminally ill series. Anna Friel has some movies in the can and will probably return to England where she'll find a string of projects to work on. Lee Pace will be in demand and Chi McBride is never going to be out of work for very long. Eileen Greene and Swoozie Kurtz will both find new jobs, either on TV or on the stage. But the extraordinary alchemy that resulted from their collaboration is gone. I know that ultimately TV is a bottom line business. But when a show is this extraordinary, doesn't any TV network have a moral responsibility to keep it alive.

It would be nice if perhaps the federal government could help by providing tax breaks to each network for keeping a couple of ratings-challenged shows alive simply because they are too good to let die. Surely it isn't in the best interest of the American people or the human race to let a show like PUSHING DAISIES go away when it was producing television as good as we've ever seen in the history of the medium. DAISIES was not merely good TV; it was exemplary TV, stretching the possibilities of what you can do much as other series did like BUFFY, THE SOPRANOS, and BATTLESTAR GALACTICA, or as MAD MEN is right now. The only thing that benefits by this show going away is the ABC bottom line. But how to measure the intense bitterness that they have created? For PUSHING DAISIES was not a show that its fans took casually. It was appointment television, viewing around which fans designed their evening.

Trying to look past my anger and my grief, I am profoundly grateful to Bryan Fuller and Barry Sonnenfeld (the latter was instrumental in not only directing several of the episodes, but creating the Shooting Bible that explained to other directors how to reproduce the unique PUSHING DAISIES look) for having created something so extraordinary. I'm delighted that we at least got 22 episodes that are among the most physically beautiful in the history of TV. While we did not get the conclusion of the stories, we did get a vivid introduction into their unique world. I've watched some episodes 7 or 8 times. I'm sure that I will watch both seasons again and again in the years to come.

Bryan Fuller has pledged to continue the series in one way or another. He has hopes of a made for TV movie to bring the story to a close. If he is unable to make a movie, he has apparently been in talks with DC Comics to continue PUSHING DAISIES as a comic series. (Ever since Joss Whedon continued BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER by continuing Season 8 in a new form, other TV creators have followed form. Rob Thomas has hopes of continuing VERONICA MARS at some point when he isn't so busy creating multiple new shows. Rockne O'Bannon wrote a story for a new brief FARSCAPE comic series.) My hope is that by "DC" he really meant their highly distinguished imprint Vertigo, the most prestigious label in comics. I'm delighted that Bryan Fuller wants to keep faith with the show's fans and show us where he wanted to stories to go.

And there is so much we want to know! Although some of this might be answered by the three unbroadcast episodes (which if ABC manages to get out of showing would certainly be contained in the DVD set), there are huge unanswered questions. First and foremost, will Chuck and Ned ever find a way to touch? Will Olive learn about Ned's secret gift and how will she respond? Will Lily and Vivian learn that Chuck is alive again? Will Emerson locate his long lost daughter (the wonderful Gina Torres was cast as Emerson's ex-wife, but I don't know if her episodes were ever filmed)? What was the secret of the three watches? What will happen with Chuck's dad? And what about Ned's Dad? And precisely where did Ned get his remarkable gift and what is its larger significance? A made for TV movie would answer some of these. But I hope that in addition to the movie Fuller will indeed create a comic. I want answers.

But nothing is going to replace the huge loss the show creates. I am a huge collector of TV shows on DVD. I have a large and rich and very high quality collection. When I moved last August I arranged my TV DVD box sets on shelves, leaving room for future additions. Right between my box sets for THE PRISONER and SLINGS AND ARROWS I left a fair amount of empty space for what I was certain was going eventually be 4 or 5 or 6 seasons of PUSHING DAISIES. Now I'll need only a fraction of the space."

An amazing and unique show that ended too soon, but shall li

Crystal Collins | Nashville, TN | 01/24/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Pushing Daisies is an amazing show. It is unique and unlike anything else out there. It has the ability to inspire its fans and bring them together in mutual adoration of Bryan Fuller's genius. But ABC did not give the show the treatment it deserved, and now the show is gone, canceled before its time, with no air date in sight for the final three episodes.

I look forward to when the Season 2 DVD set is released, as it will afford the true fans of the show a chance for closure. We will finally get to see how Bryan Fuller intended the second season to end. We can finally get a small piece of the show and its heart back.

I can already say that this product deserves five stars, on the fact that it's amazing, and I have no doubt that this set will manage to hold on to the show's greatness.

I can't wait. :D"

A Whimsical and Clever Show

Audra L. Sykes | Oregon | 12/28/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I accidentally happened upon this television series and was instantly hooked. Even after I transfered overseas I purchased the entire first season I was so in love with the series. The characters, themes, set, and, well, just everything about it make it hard to resist, much like a guilty pleasure. There is tons of wonderful cinematography, witty quips, and thoughtful acting. The whole concept behind the show itself it simply clever. Once you start watching you find there are so many different and unique dynamics betweeen all the characters, amusing and heart warming alike. Plus, each episode's "mystery" is always so creative and funny you can't help but be tickled. I think its a total shame ABC is cutting this cute show from tv. Highly recommend watching. I, myself, have shared the first season with several friends as well as with my family all to positive reviews. After watching this show it is hard to walk away with out the "feel goods.""

I wish like mad I could give it more...

fictionchick | Gaithersburg, MD USA | 07/07/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"How could anyone not fall in love with this show? It's the most well-written, witty, romantic dramedy I've ever seen; It had me at "Pie-lette." Even my whole family loved it. I was so upset when it was taken off, and still don't understand why. Why is it always the really good shows that always fall victim to evil rejections and bite the dust when they don't deserve it? It's a question that so many are asking: there's even a widely known petition to save the show, with 92,295 signatures (and counting). It's a wonder that with that many names, the network hasn't done anything yet. All I can say is, I hope ABC or some other network picks it up again because this daisy was plucked before it had a chance to really bloom. PLEASE BRING IT BACK!!!"